1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved cable connector assembly including a cable with multiple conductors and a connector and in one aspect to an improved shielding for electromagnetic interference/electrostatic discharge (EMI/ESD) around the conductors extending from the cable shielding to the connector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with D subminiature connector assemblies and most such assemblies have provided the interface between the cable and the connector shroud with some shielding effectiveness to try to meet the EMI/RFI standards. All such prior art devices have been formed in a manner which makes them time consuming to manufacture to reliably provide the effective shielding or the casing surrounding the interface is bulky. One assembly of the prior art is a structure wherein a premolded form is built around the connector wires and then the shielding is provided by a copper tape which is wrapped about the premolded conductors. The copper tape is then soldered around the entire periphery of the connector shroud adjacent a peripheral mounting flange for the connector, the tape is soldered at its ends, and is soldered the full 360' around the cable shield to provide a low resistance ground path. The outer jacket is then molded over the tape and remaining assembly.
Such assembly operations to provide the effective shielding and ground path is time consuming. The steps in making such a shielded terminal are extensive.
The present invention provides a connector assembly wherein the shielding between the cable shield and the connector is formed by a very compliant conductive wire mesh which is wrapped about the conductors with one edge of the length of mesh contacting the periphery of the connector shroud on one side of the mounting flange and the other edge of the mesh is contacting the cable shield and is maintained in contact therewith by a spring biased connection affording spring reserve contact. A covering is then preferably formed by molding over the mesh between the connector flange of the metal shell of the connector and the cable sheath. The porous wire removes the need to premold around the conductors.
The low resistance ground path is further enhanced by the use of a shield plate which is secured along a plate-like portion thereof to the mesh and which is stamped such that the other end covers the mounting flange and extends along the metal shell or shroud of the D connector and slides into the slot between the connector's metal shell and plastic body supporting the contacts to readily contact the mating connector metal shroud.
The advantages of the present invention are thus seen in that the mesh can be readily wrapped around the terminal ends of the conductors and can be formed to cover the conductors between the exposed end of the cable shield and the conductor with the cable extending either out an end or side from the connector or straight away from the connector.
The structure of the present invention provides an aesthetic covering with effective shielding. The structure of the present invention does not have a heavy bulky metal termination.